Thunder In Our Hearts
by KikoWest
Summary: Drabbles dedicated to the OTP AmixMakoto. Inspired by SMMonthly.
1. Kiss

**Theme:** One - Kiss  
**Genre:** Humor  
**Version:** Animanga  
**Rating:** PG

**---  
Chocolate Kisses  
---**

The first time Makoto gave Ami a kiss, it was in public And before it even happened, it caused quite a stir and a small explosion of long limbs and blond hair as Usagi tripped over her own feet and sent a very surprised Minako tumbling to the ground. Rei's calculus notes and sleek, expensive pens rained down around them as her school bag slipped from her hands and clattered noisily on concrete. There wasn't a moment of silence about the whole thing, and there weren't any fireworks. Well, unless the _boom_ of a backfiring car engine counted.

In short, it wasn't exactly how either Ami or Makoto had planned it.

"Mako-chan!" Rei had sputtered. Normally so calm and composed, it was obvious she really didn't know what to do with herself in her embarrassment, but Rei eventually settled on awkwardly trying to collect her scattered belongings. A slow, dainty blush worked its way down her face and all the way to her fingertips.

It was obvious that Makoto couldn't tell whether to be angry at their unnecessary reaction to her question, or amused at how funny they all looked.

"Geez, you all act like I asked her to marry me!" she joked, finding a happy medium in sarcasm. "I just want to give her a kiss! Isn't that what you're supposed to do on Valentine's Day?" The tall brunette pointed to the small, red bags Minako had passed out earlier that were filled with teeth-rotting candy and balls of caramel filled chocolate. "You all got each other something!"

"Not a kiss!" puffed Minako. The buttons on her sleeve cuffs had somehow become tangled in Usagi's hair, and they were having a bit of trouble dislodging them. "Stop moving! You're making it worse, Usagi!"

The other blond was trying fruitlessly to peer up at Makoto with wide, curious eyes. Her mouth still hung open slightly, and a bit of hair had taken up residence there. Usagi seemed too preoccupied to care.

"Well, it's not like I wasn't going to give one to all of you," said Makoto. "If that's what you're worried about."

Rei's school bag took another dive onto the sidewalk.

"You want to give a kiss to all of us?" shrilled Usagi. "Even me?"

"Yes!" Makoto huffed, starting to feel ridiculous herself. "I thought you'd like it!"

"I have a boyfriend!" responded Usagi at a shout. Minako quickly smacked her hand over Usagi's mouth, which effectively disentangled the button from her hair, and elicited a strangled yelp of pain from the other girl.

"What the hell is wrong with all of you?" Makoto demanded. "I know it's a new recipe, but I thought you liked eating my cookies. I didn't think they were normally that bad!"

Through the whole conversation, Ami had been completely silent, as to allow her blush to turn a painful, solid shade of red without distraction. But suddenly, she let out a long sigh and said, "It's just a new recipe?"

Makoto regarded her strangely. "Well, yeah," she said as she produced a small, Tupperware tub from inside her bag. "I know how much you like chocolate chip, Ami-chan, so I wanted you to be the first to try them."

Sheepishly, Ami reached in and took one, carefully crafted cookie. It seemed like Makoto had spent a good deal of time on them, with each cookie lovingly coated in a chocolate drizzle and topped with a Hershey's Kiss.

"Thank you, Mako-chan," stuttered Ami. "That was very thoughtful."

"You're welcome," beamed Makoto. "I hope you like them. I call them 'kisses,' because of the chocolate kiss on the top. See?"

Minako and Usagi had finally managed to get off the ground, and slowly began brushing themselves off. Having collected her composure seconds earlier, Rei accepted a cookie as it was offered, and nonchalantly went about pretending that nothing out of the ordinary had happened.

"They're just cookies?" asked Minako, seeming a little embarrassed.

"Yeah," Makoto replied. "Why? What'd you think I was talking about?"

"Nothing!" Usagi interjected with her mouth full of cookie. "Mmm! These are really great, Mako-chan!"

Makoto basked in the contentment of a job well done, and decided to leave her questions till another day.


	2. Ominous

**Theme:** Two - Ominous  
**Genre:** Drama/Romance  
**Version:** Animanga  
**Rating:** PG-13

**---  
There's Thunder in Our Hearts  
---**

For one, shining moment, those green eyes were swimming, free flowing and naked, in her soul. The heat of the electricity still pumping through Jupiter's veins seemed to be coursing through the frost that was slowly melting on Mercury's skin. Rivulets trailed like demanding fingers, mixing with dirt and sweat.

Mercury told herself it was the cold chill of her own power and her brief brush with death that made her gasp softly the harder Jupiter pressed their bows together and shoved her into the ground with all the power of her strong limbs. There had been no coordination in their fall. It had been all of Jupiter's energy and Mercury's surprise, and the way they lay bore testimony to it, with the taller senshi shielding the smaller.

But Mercury wasn't surprised anymore, and her arms had naturally gone to embrace her savior. Her fingers dug into Jupiter's fuku painfully, keeping their bodies together only for a second longer, allowing their foreheads to touch and lips come tantalizingly close in the struggle to disentangle and rejoin their team.

"Thank you," breathed Mercury, just like she had a hundred times before when Mighty Jupiter had shoved her quickly from harm.

And there it was. The first time Jupiter did not respond as she, too, had done a hundred times before. "You're welcome" caught in her mouth, and those green eyes were stuck somewhere between blue and oblivion. The cheeky wink turned into a wide-eyed stare, vulnerable and confused.

"You're going to get yourself killed," Jupiter managed to stutter, her breath hitching in her chest from exertion and something painful that had no name. "Are you _crazy_? You're going to get yourself killed."

Mercury's apology stumbled over her lips, and the next moment was awkward, with hands fluttering to find appropriate places and legs trying to stabilize the body without the faces coming too close again. Before this, they would have parted fluidly, almost playfully. They would have rejoined their group and successfully taken out the youma in question with the ease that comes from efficient teamwork.

But something had changed. There was electricity in the humid air. A storm had broken.

They had fallen for each other.


	3. Image

**Theme:** Three - Image  
**Genre:** Romance  
**Version:** Animanga/AU-ish?  
**Rating:** PG-13

**---  
Blood Rushed Somewhere Silent  
---**

She had been in the bathroom washing the blood out of her hair. Rose water shampoo leaked all over the floor, having been knocked over in her vigor, and Ami almost took a painful tumble as her bare feet slid over the soapy tile. Makoto sat up and wrung her long, dark hair out over the side of the tub. Some strands were still clumping together, faintly dark red and sticky, but it wasn't anything another washing couldn't get out in the morning.

"Are you okay?" asked Makoto, grinning at the shocked expression still lingering on Ami's face. "Sorry. I guess I didn't screw the lid back on."

Ami took a moment to wipe her feet dry on the bathroom rug, and held out a washcloth filled with ice cubes to the brunette. "Here I am bringing you ice, and you try to kill me!" she teased.

Makoto's smile faltered as she pressed the cold compress to her split lip and swelling nose. "Ooch!" she hissed. Slowly, she sunk down to sit on the side of the tub, steadying herself with her long legs, and held out a hand for Ami to take.

It had always been easy for Makoto to manipulate Ami. Her body was smaller, and she was always eager to comply. With one, demanding tug, Ami was straddling her with her feet firmly planted in the bathtub to balance their weight. If Makoto had been less abused, and Ami less responsible, it would have proved an encouraging position, but neither of them were particularly interested in the added pain of exploring the awkwardness of intimacy stuffed in a damp bathtub.

"You should let me put something on that cut," said Ami in a soft voice. Her fingers barely brushed the top of Makoto's hairline, were a long gash still wept slightly.

"I'm fine," Makoto replied, waving her away.

"It'll heal faster," informed Ami.

"Hey," laughed Makoto. "It can heal as fast as it wants. I don't want to be pushy."

"You are pushy, though," Ami teased.

"Maybe," admitted Makoto.

The ice towel was soon forgotten. Makoto found the curve of Ami's neck comforting enough as she trailed soft kisses over the bruised skin. Her broken lip left a red pathway, lingering and smudging on Ami's collarbone until it dotted down onto the swell of her breast, exposed by her oversized sleep shirt that had slipped scandalously over her small shoulder. Ami's fingers had abandoned Makoto's face, and entwined deeply in the damp mass of her dark hair. The gauze wrapping Ami's arms brushed Makoto's ear, making her flinch. It tickled, and reminded her of Mercury's unfortunate trip through a storefront window.

"Let me brush your hair tonight?" Ami suggested. Her voice was low and throaty as Makoto's teeth carefully grazed her skin. Ami's nimble digits had already gone to work at a few nasty tangles, and Makoto moaned as her soft hands eased over her scalp.

"I must really look bad," said Makoto. Her thumb tried to wipe away the dark stain she'd created on Ami's skin, but only succeeded in smudging it more. Now, Ami looked twice as bruised as she had before, and Makoto was sure she was probably a horrible mess herself. "If you're offering to brush my hair. Don't trust me to groom myself? I'm still a girl, you know, even if I do some serious youma ass kickin'."

"No. I know," Ami smiled. "That's not what I mean."

Ami knew the best of anyone how much of a woman Makoto was. Even stepping out of carnage, her face marred with blood and a type of animalistic vengeance burning in those expressive, green eyes, there was something that would always be uniquely feminine about how Makoto's long legs moved and how she wore each cut like a war medal. She was like a great, Amazon warrior, and instead of rose petals in her hair, Makoto wore blood.

Roses could stain, though, and Ami twirled a clumped mass of Makoto's hair thoughtfully in her fingers. She just wanted to remove Makoto's petals before they became a permanent fixture, like a fairy's crown of wildflowers.

"You can brush my hair if you sleep in my room tonight," whispered Makoto huskily, finding her compromise.

Ami could have pointed out that her bedroom in the apartment had long been forgotten, and half her underwear was already stuffed into Makoto's drawers. She could have mentioned the practicality of them looking into one-bedroom apartments, despite how it would look to the other girls.

But she didn't.

"Okay," Ami agreed. Her fingers snagged on some dry blood, and worked their way through.

It broke apart like a flower torn by the wind.


	4. Curse

**Theme:** Four - Curse  
**Genre:** Angst/Drama  
**Version:** Animanga/AU-ish  
**Rating:** PG-13

_And if I only could/ Make a deal with God/ And get him to swap our places/ Be running up that road/ Be running up that hill/ With no problems - "Running Up That Hill" by Placebo_

**_---  
_Make a Deal With God  
---**

Makoto would have given anything to cry again, to squeeze an ounce of what she was feeling out through her tear ducts and onto the white, hospital tile beneath her. She was too hurt, too angry, too _something_. It was building in her chest like a volcanic eruption, and she was sure her heart would explode out her ribcage at any moment from the force of it.

But it didn't. It just kept _thumping, thumping, thumping_ like God was laughing at her. Each heartbeat was a chuckle of the Almighty Himself, low and loud in her ears. If she was lucky, it'd just stop.

"Can I get you anything, Kino-san?" Ami's mother was a tall, dignified woman, made even more reserved through grief. Her face was white and her lips pale, but she was the perfect picture of calm under pressure. Well, that's if no one was looking at her hands. A surgeon's hands should have been still and conditioned for anxiety, but Mizuno-san's shook fiercely.

Makoto swallowed another mouthful of guilt, seeing those hands. "No thank you, Mizuno-san," she whispered. "I'm fine. Can I get you anything, though?"

"No, thank you," replied Mizuno-san as she sunk down into the chair opposite Makoto. Her mouth was pursed tight suddenly, as if trying to hold something vile and dangerous in behind her teeth. Slowly, she let out a tiny sigh, and her lips opened. "You're a very good friend, Kino-san." Makoto flinched. "I know you care a great deal for our Ami-chan."

_I know it was you,_ Mizuno-san's eyes seem to say as her mouth spoke those kind words. Makoto found those blue, narrowed eyes disturbingly similar to Ami's, and she had to look away. They said much more than Mizuno-san ever would. _I know it was you, and it's your fault. If you had really cared for her, you would have kept your distance. It was you, it was you, it was you._

Makoto took a deep, ragged breath, and stood up. She had to escape the waiting room and Ami's mother, even though her accusing eyes were closed now, and pressed firmly into her shaking palm. Makoto went to the only place she had ever felt comfortable and accepted, drunkenly dodging nurses and wobbling patients until she was standing inside a hospital room, with the door shut tightly against her back.

There was something masochistic about the way Makoto felt better allowing the grief and guilt raise to the brim of her soul as she pulled up a chair beside the sterile, hospital bed. She tried again to squeeze some tears from her burning eyes, but still found herself unable to manage it and took the small, dainty hand in front of her instead, and peppered it with tiny kisses.

At least Ami's fingers were warm. Makoto rubbed them carefully against her cheek, trying to be careful of the tubes and needles. There seemed to be wires and gauze everywhere. It was almost surprising Ami's tiny body had enough area to use that many bandages and machines. But maybe it was that exactly that made her look so small. Against all the tubing and fresh, white, bulky wrappings, Ami's bones and veins stood out painfully. Even her dark hair had been cropped shorter, tighter to her body, to get all the blood out of it.

Makoto entwined her fingers with Ami's, and clamped her eyes shut until she could see stars dancing in the blackness. It had been her fault. Mizuno-san, in her silence, had been right. If only Ami and her had never met. If only they had never moved in together, as friends (and then later as something entirely different). If only Makoto hadn't spent every moment, of every day, dreaming of blue eyes and a sweet smile.

_If only, if only, if only._

If only she had listened to Ami, while they were walking the length of her college block. Makoto had wanted her hand, and when they parted for Ami to go to class, and Makoto to head towards her night job, she had demanded a kiss. They'd always been so careful in public, but Makoto had been promoted. They were celebrating. She was being careless.

Makoto was sure that if Ami had been awake, she would have told her it wasn't her fault. It wasn't her fault that there was hate in the world, and people feared what they didn't understand. It wasn't her fault that Makoto just wanted a kiss from her girlfriend, before she departed for a job she was enjoying, and was good at. She had been happy. They had been happy. Was that so unreasonable? Ami would have said it wasn't, but that you can't blame people for their cruelty. They, after all, are often just the product of their environment. Ami could never truly blame anyone.

But Makoto was not Ami. She could blame, and she gladly did so. Firstly, she blamed the men that had followed Ami from her lecture, and attacked her with the viciousness that comes from hunting a hated and feared animal. She blamed them for every bruise and broken bone. She blamed them for ruining the first impression Ami's mother would ever have of their relationship.

She blamed them for her own inability to cry.

And then, of course, she blamed herself. Makoto hadn't been there when Ami needed her the most. She'd been garnishing a fish dish when she'd gotten the phone call. The police had, of course, contacted her first. She was the top number on Ami's cell phone. They really shouldn't have had to call her at all.

Makoto couldn't understand how someone could harm her best friend, her partner, without her knowing. Shouldn't she have sensed when they dragged Ami into the back alley like a lamb to be slaughtered? Shouldn't she have known when the only person she'd ever truly loved was trying to crawl her way back to civilization, broken and bleeding?

_And why hadn't Ami defended herself?_ That got Makoto more than anything. Ami wasn't weak. Ami wasn't incapable. Her henshin pen had been in her bag the whole time, though they had thrown it back against the side of a building. _There must have been a moment where..._ Well, maybe it was useless to think of the "what ifs." There would be things that only Ami would know, that only Ami would have to fight though.

Sometimes, Makoto wondered if maybe this deep, unaccepted love was more of a curse than a discovered miracle as she looked at Ami's broken baby bird figure, laying so still.

And that's when she finally began to cry.


	5. Brilliant

**Theme:** Five - Brilliant  
**Genre:** Romance/Adult-ish  
**Version:** Animanga/AU-ish  
**Rating:** R

**---  
Douse the Light  
---**

Makoto loved living on the outskirts of Tokyo for the light. Neon and vibrant, Tokyo lit up her bedroom like a fish tank with a backlight. Anything already bright, or transparent, shone gold and rose in front of her windows. That's why Makoto liked it so much when Ami wore ice blue to bed. It danced on her darkened skin like frost.

But Ami wasn't wearing anything to bed that night, and Makoto loved that even more. Just the lingering of bath water skipped in the Tokyo light that filtered in through the curtains, rolling like little, golden jewels off Ami's pale flesh. Taking one, soft finger, Makoto could beckon the droplets down through the smooth pathway between Ami's breasts, and swirl them into careful designs, manipulating them like icing on a cake. Makoto licked her lips.

There was temptation, and then there was _temptation_. Thighs brushing, hands groping, and the way Ami's head fell back to expose that intimate, tender spot above her collar bone. There was still a bite mark there from the night before. Makoto had always been proud of her will power and sheer determination, but the water rolling down Ami's body looked like a diamond strung necklace, and it was driving her insane. Each droplet shone, catching that Tokyo light she loved, and illuminated every precious inch of perfect skin she dreamed about running her fingers over during the day.

For one brief second, Makoto thought the effect was too beautiful to ruin: Ami writhing on the bed like some diamond laced water nymph. But it really was just too much for her self-restraint to handle. The water necklace scattered as demanding fingers sought the swell of Ami's breast, and warm skin heated what was left of the condensation.

Rejected, the survivors rolled off the green duvet and into the darkness between the bed and the floor, where the neon brilliance could no longer reach them.


	6. Clandestine

**Theme:** Six - Clandestine  
**Genre:** Romance/Mild Angst  
**Version:** AU-ish  
**Rating:** PG-13

_There is a storm in the distance/ The wind breathing warning of its imminence/ There is a lighthouse five hundred yards down/ You and I will be safe there - "Lighthouse" by The Hush Sound_

**_---  
_Love Makes You A Liar  
---**

The screen door creaked loudly under Ami's weight. _The beach house is a snitch_, Makoto decided as she held her breath. She could feel Ami's soft panting against her collar bone, and the soft hands that had been caressing the warm skin of her belly under her shirt had tensed against her hip bones. They both waited with wide eyes, illuminated by the fading light filtering into the back entryway.

In the sitting room, the easy creaking of a rocking chair stopped. Makoto could imagine Ami's mother as she had left her, feet hooked and a book sitting comfortably in her lap. It was a pose she'd seen Ami mimic a thousand times before, and now she couldn't help but imagine Ami's look of confusion, too, plastered over her mother's face as she realized both the girls were gone.

"Ami?" Mizuno-san had a soft voice, but it carried through the house effortlessly. "Are you going out?"

"Yes, Mama," replied Ami. Her eyes were cast down, as if anticipating the shame of the lie she was concocting.

"Is Kino-san going with you?" The chair shifted. "Should we go as a group?"

Makoto tried to pull away and make the scene less scandalous if they were about to be discovered, but Ami's hands dug into her sides, holding her in place with surprising strength.

"No," answered Ami. "Mako-chan is just loaning me her umbrella. I forgot mine at home, and it's drizzling a little. I just wanted to get some air."

"T-That's right," stuttered Makoto, forced by a sharp pinch. For once, she felt like the helpless partner, the fragile one. Ami's expression was calm in comparison, and her tone never faltered from being even and innocent.

"Tell her you'll be back in a moment," Ami whispered into Makoto's neck.

"It'll only be a moment," parroted Makoto.

"It's just hiding," added Ami loudly. Her eyes rolled slowly to the left, where three umbrellas sat openly against a large, wooden chest. They hadn't been moved since they had arrived three days earlier. "Ah. There it is."

The rocking chair began to creak slowly again, and Makoto let out the breath she hadn't even been aware she'd been holding. Ami relaxed, too, her hands slipping from Makoto's waist, and reaching for the large, green umbrella nearest to her.

"I feel bad," whispered Makoto, suddenly catching Ami by the elbow. "I feel bad lying to your mother. Sneaking around lik--"

"Shh," Ami interrupted. "Shh, Mako-chan. Please."

Her calm, clear voice was gone. Ami was Ami again, her hands shaking slightly from the effort of blatantly taking advantage of her mother's trust and generosity. When she had asked Makoto to come to the family beach house with her, it was supposed to be because it'd be a break. Lying to one, polite person was supposed to be easier than lying to three, snoopy teenagers. Maybe they'd feel less guilty. Maybe it'd hurt less: the lying.

It didn't, of course.

"Just five minutes," began Ami softly. Makoto had to lean in to hear her, their noses almost touching. "Just spend five minutes, and then tell her you're tired and you're going to go to bed. You can follow me, then, but take the front door. It's closer to your room, and doesn't make any noise."

"What if she checks on me?" Makoto asked. "It's a little early for bed."

"She won't," assured Ami. Her face went into shadow as she cast her eyes downward again. "She's too respectful."

Makoto wanted to be comforting, but there was a buzzing in her ears that refused to stop, and an adrenaline high that was beginning to work its way into her limbs. When she bent in for a kiss, it ended with a clacking of teeth and a type of frantic, demanding push that made the screen door squeal again.

Ami gasped. They broke apart.

"I'll be back! Don't worry!" called Ami, recovering faster than Makoto who had to catch herself against the doorframe.

In a second, Ami was out in the rain, her house slippers left crumpled in a heap, and her sandals slapping against the wet, wooden porch. Makoto watched her as long as it could be deemed appropriate. The crisp, whiteness of Ami's summer dress stood out like a fairy light as she walked along the beach, the green umbrella twirling behind her.

Slowly, it began fading into the descending darkness, and Makoto had to turn away.


	7. Lyrical

**Theme:** Seven - Lyrical ("Ashes" by Embrace)  
**Genre:** Angst/Dark  
**Version:** AU  
**Rating:** R

_Don't make a sound/ Shh and listen/ Keep your head down/ We're not safe yet/ Don't make a sound/ And be good for me/ 'Cause I know they're waiting somewhere out here - "Shh" by Frou Frou_

**---  
Drops of Jupiter  
---**

Mercury wasn't aware she had been the one screaming until Venus's hand was pressed over her mouth. There was something sticky and warm on her glove, leaving a dark, metallic taste smeared over Mercury's teeth every time a deep, shuddering gasp tried to work its way into her shrieking. In the background, Mars was lunging forward. Her gloveless hands were like dry ice, so hot they felt bone cold, as she helped Venus drag Mercury back through the sandy ground.

They almost trampled over Sailor Moon, with her head pressed face down onto the wasteland. Mars had to step over her to use all of her force on Mercury as Venus struggled to keep the hysterical senshi under control. It seemed wrong: the quiet one howling at the top of her voice, and the bubbly, trouble maker as still and silent as someone praying in a churchyard.

But maybe that's how Moon saw it, puffing sand with each breath as her forehead ground into the soft earth. Her body was compacted, hands clasped to her chest, as she rocked side to side in her worship. She bowed towards the fading image that still guttered heavily in the darkness behind her eyelids.

Jupiter had been right there. Her hands outstretched, she made for a very beautiful human shield. Her body had crackled and sparked with the ferocity of her element as the sky thundered…

And then she was gone.

Her remaining glow was being snuffed out like a candle that had reached the end of its wick. This alien world didn't tolerate light or passion. It swallowed it in one, greedy gobble like a crocodile, gouging it back into its underbelly ferociously. Where light touched, the ground almost seemed to hiss.

Venus tried to gather Mercury as close to her as she possibly could. "Shh," she breathed. Her teeth chattered painfully every time she opened her mouth, but the sound of her own voice had always made her feel better, stronger. "You have to be quiet now. Don't cry. Don't cry."

The other senshi seemed to be dissolving in her arms and choking on her grief. Or maybe Venus was choking her. She loosened her grip, and unclenched her aching hand from around Mercury's mouth. How long had she been bleeding? She couldn't remember. Her head pounded from the effort of trying to swallow down the little shriek of fear that was working its way up past her white lips.

It vocalized through Sailor Moon instead. She cast her head back, and a tiny moan escaped from somewhere deep within her soul as her face was kissed by the delicate, grey and green ash that slowly began to fall from the sky. It clung like spider webs to her eyelashes, and collected on her cheeks before it broke apart in her tears. Dirty, shattered streaks cut down her face.

Venus held out a hand to catch some of the scattering. It flaked easily against the tough fabric of her gloves, and left the smell of burnt hair.

Then, there was a tiny splatter. It created a little, red hole in the ash, almost indistinguishable. And then came another, and another, and another until it was misting a heavy haze.

Mars pushed her princess's forehead back onto the stained earth, covering her with her own body. Her lips moved to comfort, but nothing seemed to come out. Venus masked her nose and mouth, muffling the great, greedy gasps she was taking from the red storm that slowly clotted the sand.

In the back of Venus's mind, as the sky crackled feebly above, she couldn't help but find it all bitterly reminiscent of Jupiter. Her hand fell from her mouth. A dark, gory stain stared back at her, peppered by the falling crimson drizzle.

She suddenly hoped it was just been her own blood she tasted.


	8. Sick

**Theme:** Eight - Sick  
**Genre:** General/Humor  
**Version:** Animanga  
**Rating:** PG

**---  
The Joy of Sharing  
---**

"Please, Ami-chan?" Usagi pleaded. "Just this once?"

Ami rolled her eyes wearily to the left. "No, Usagi. I'm not going to cough on you," she said firmly for the eighth time.

"How about if you just breathe in our direction?" suggested Minako. She maneuvered herself closer to Ami's bedside, as eager as a puppy.

"Both of you, please!" Ami sighed, trying to shield her face with a round, blue throw pillow. "I refuse to get you sick. _I_ don't even want to be sick!"

Usagi pouted. "It's not fair!" she grumbled. "I try so hard to get a cold, and Ami-chan doesn't even want one, and then she gets so sick she can't even get out of bed!"

"I want to get out of bed!" snapped Ami.

"I walked here in the rain!" Minako empathized with Usagi. "And now I'll have nothing to show for it."

"You both are insane," puffed Ami. It was hard to tell if she was truly irritated, though, with her face flushed red with fever.

Much to Ami's relief, Makoto decided to make a gallant entrance right then, kicking the bedroom door open with her right foot. Minako and Usagi scampered back like guilty children having been caught sticking their hands in a cookie jar, and watched anxiously as Makoto set down an overloaded tray of comfort foods and citrus snacks.

"Spicy curry," said Makoto, pointing to one of the dishes. "To clear out your sinuses." Minako and Usagi fidgeted in the corner, eyes darting between the food and Ami. Makoto raised an eyebrow. "Did I miss something?" she asked.

"Oh, no. No, you didn't," stammered Ami. She had set down the pillow, and had taken to delicately dabbing her nose with a Kleenex. She seemed kind of embarrassed. "Mako-chan, where did you find all that?"

"Around," explained Makoto vaguely. "Your mom won't mind, will she?"

"Of course not," assured Ami. "She, er, doesn't do much cooking."

Makoto seemed overly pleased that her efforts were going to be appreciated, and took to smoothing Ami's blankets for her, before whipping out a small lap tray that Ami didn't even remember being in the apartment to begin with. There was probably nothing in the world that made Makoto happier than catering to the people she loved, and she took advantage of any opportunity with unmatched vigor.

"You two should probably go," Makoto addressed the two blondes as she mothered the invalid. "After Ami-chan eats, she should probably take a nap."

"Mako-chan, really--" Ami attempted to stick up for herself, but was almost instantly cut off. Usagi had jumped forward, wheedling between Makoto's busy arms and into Ami's lap.

"Ami-chan! Just one good cough! I'm begging you!" Usagi pressed. "Please, please, pleasepleasepleaseplease?"

A bony elbow jostled Usagi over to the side as Minako tried to slide in and plead her own case. Ami appeared stricken, sinking back into her bed defensively. Her frightened eyes caught Makoto's.

_Help me_, she mouthed.

"I have an algebra test tomorrow, Ami-chan!" said Minako. She held Usagi roughly back by the palm of her hand, resulting in angered grunting in the background as the other girl fought to be the one closer to Ami's germy condition. "If I don't get sick, then I won't have time to study!"

"Minako! You should have studied a week ago!" growled Makoto, trying to come to Ami's aid. "That isn't Ami-chan's problem--"

"Stay out of it!" hissed Minako. Makoto's mouth fell opened. Minako on a mission really was a scary sight. "This is between Ami-chan's germs and me!" Ami cowered as Minako's hard, blue eyes turned on her single-mindedly. "Don't make me do something drastic!" the blond warned.

"Really, Minako-chan!" shrilled Ami. "Even if I did cough on you, there's really no telling if you're going to get my cold. You have to factor in your own immune system and an incubatio--"

In one, fluid motion, Minako dove forward planted the biggest, sloppiest kiss she could muster on Ami before the smaller girl could even begin to react. Flailing wilding, pillows and sheets went flying as Ami tried to dislodge the ambitious blond from her face and come up for air.

"Whoa," gasped Usagi. She seemed somewhat torn between being disgusted with the ferocity that Minako had latched onto Ami's lips, and admiring her for the measures she'd take just to get out of a math test.

"HEY!" bellowed Makoto. It'd taken a moment for her to react. "MINAKO!"

The Senshi of Love knew when to end a kiss, and she figured that was a good as moment as any. She came up with a gasp and a smile, watching Ami frantically clamber for tissues to scrub her mouth with.

"Are you _crazy_!" Ami shrilled.

"A girl's gotta do what a girl's gotta do," said Minako matter-of-factly. She seemed extremely pleased with herself as she straightened the bow on her uniform. It had twirled upside down sometime in the scuffle.

Minako's success was about to be short lived, though, as Makoto pointed her forcefully towards the door. The very tip of Makoto's finger twitched angrily, and her arm was rigid in its insistence.

"Out," she growled.

"Thanks, Ami-chan!" said Minako, carefully skirting around Makoto. "I'll think of you tomorrow when I'm at home, okay?"

The blond vanished out the door in a haze of girlish laughter, Usagi stumbling at her heels.

"I hope you feel better, Ami-chan!" said Usagi, giving a clumsy bow before her odangos disappeared in a flash out into the hallway.

"Thank you?" replied Ami.

Makoto exchanged a perplexed glance with her patient. Maybe they should have expected all of that.

Pinching the bridge of her nose, Ami sighed. "Maybe I will take that nap, after all, Mako-chan."


	9. Sugar

**Theme:** Nine - Sugar  
**Genre:** Humor/General  
**Version:** Animanga  
**Rating:** G

**---  
Playing House  
---**

Makoto looked like a ridiculous, oversized fish with her cheeks puffed out to full capacity and eyes crossed almost to the point of pain. Sounds previously thought to be impossible for human vocal cords burbled from her pouted lips, and a Winnie the Pooh bib hung precariously around her neck.

"If you're not careful, your face might freeze that way," warned Ami softly as she passed by. A large laundry basket balanced awkwardly on her hip.

"I can't help it," clucked Makoto. "Isn't she cute?"

Hotaru was pretty cute when one forgot the fact she could send the whole world up in one mushroom cloud of total oblivion. As Makoto bounced her lightly, Hotaru cooed and gurgled like any other baby, fingers reaching to get into anything and everything that might be of interest. When Makoto nuzzled her small, soft head, a few tiny fingers went up her nose.

Ami chuckled as Makoto had to sneeze over her shoulder.

"I don't know how Michiru and Haruka can even set her down," said Makoto, recovering quickly. "I think I might steal her if I didn't think they'd notice."

Thoughtfully, Ami gave the breathing mound of blankets currently inhabiting the couch a sympathetic glance. Under all the quilts, Haruka was fast asleep. All that was visible of her was a few tuffs of blond hair, and one, fine-boned hand that skimmed the floor lightly.

"You weren't here earlier," Ami said ominously.

"Oh, come on," cooed Makoto. "How bad can she be? Look at these chubby, little cheeks!" Makoto distributed sloppy kisses to each one. "She's practically made of sugar! Little baby girls are the absolute best. Aren't they, Hotaru?" The baby let a little stream of spittle trickle down onto her chin. "Sugar and spice, and everything nice," Makoto said firmly.

"Uh huh," grunted Ami. She busied herself sorting towels and sheets.

"Guess whose going to teach you how to catch?" Makoto continued. Hotaru stared up at her with wide, awestruck eyes. "I am! And I'll teach you to bake and clean and maybe we can go to the park with your Haruka-papa and we'll show you how to play soccer and cream all the boys!"

Flailing, Hotaru shrieked happily. In her burrow, Haruka twitched. Makoto turned to look at Ami, who had a partially folded sheet between her teeth and her arms stretched wide.

"Ami-chan," said Makoto, laying her head on top of Hotaru's. "I want one."

Raising an eyebrow, Ami tossed her finished product onto a steadily growing pile. "Well, you have another three hours to practice before Michiru and Setsuna get home. I'm sure Haruka wouldn't mind having an extended nap, either," she said.

The mass on the couch moaned slightly and rolled over. One, long leg pitched over the arm rest awkwardly.

"Perfect," Makoto purred, gazing at Hotaru with enthusiasm.

Hotaru gazed back, but her face was beginning to wobble and twist. Slowly, her bottom lip extended and mouth chattered violently. One, long wail was working its way up from her tiny body, and Makoto was in its line of fire. The brunette went from excited to stunned in a split second.

"Ami-chan..." began Makoto, scooting Hotaru at arm's length as the fussing turned into full fledged shrieking.

Wrapped in her cocoon, Haruka's attempt to sit up turned into a painful nosedive to the floor. The empty mug sitting on the coffee table bounced slightly on impact, and threatened to tip over.

"Michiru!" Haruka garbled, bleary eyed and still half asleep. "The tea kettle's going off!"

Abandoning what was left of the laundry, Ami held out her hands for the screaming baby. "She probably needs to be changed. Give me some sugar, Mako-chan," she joked. The brunette passed Hotaru over without complaint, wincing with every ear-shattering wail.

"Sorry," murmured Makoto, looking sheepish. "I think I broke her."

"She's fine," reassured Ami. "Want me to show you how to change a diaper?"

Makoto leaned as far away from Ami was possible. "I'll pass," she said.

"Really? You might need to know, since you said you wanted a baby." The soft, even pats Ami was giving Hotaru didn't seem to be helping much. "They're so cute and all."

Makoto covered her ears.

"I think I'll get a dog instead," she said miserably.


	10. Bravery

**Note:** A big "Thank You" to everyone who reviewed. I appreciate it. :)

**Theme:** Ten - Bravery  
**Genre:** Romance/General  
**Version:** Animanga/AU  
**Rating:** PG

**---  
Carpe Inguen  
---**

Ami tried to be nonchalant, but the fact she was helping Makoto with dinner was strange and awkward in itself. Cringing at the messy job she was making of the fish batter, she tried to ignore the overwhelming presence of her own immediate failure. After all, what had Haruka said? Something about swallowing insecurities and grabbing life by the balls.

Something like that. It sounded a little like Haruka.

"I mean, I was just wondering," stuttered Ami. "Since you don't have any classes tomorrow, and they gave you the week off at the bakery…" She could already feel the blush taking over, ruining her desperate attempt at remaining composed. "Would you like to go out to dinner?"

Makoto paused, spatula poised over a sizzling skillet. "With the group?" she asked. The fish in the pan slapped loudly against the bottom of the skillet as it was flipped. Ami barely repressed the urge to flinch.

"No," Ami began at length. "I thought maybe it could just be us?"

There was a pregnant moment of silence.

"Like a date?" The fish had Makoto's undivided attention. Ami envied how her hands weren't shaking as she handled the skillet.

Gripping the sides of the mixer more firmly, Ami tried to keep herself together. Her stomach was already rolling around, playing tag with her other organs. Ami took a large breath, constricting the butterflies that had also somehow found their way into her gut.

She could deny it was a date. It didn't have to be anything more than the two of them, out to dinner. They'd done it before when the other girls were busy, and it wasn't awkward or uncomfortable. It was just Ami and Makoto, two girlfriends— _girls_ enjoying each other's company. It didn't have to be a date. Why had Makoto even asked? _It didn't have to be a date._

"Yes, like a date!" shrilled Ami.

Makoto didn't say anything for a second, and Ami stared into the mixer miserably, surprised by her own hysterical word vomit.

The fish sizzled. Makoto shrugged. "Sure," she said.

Bravery depleted, Ami let the mixer drown out her soft, but triumphant reply.


	11. Quote

**Theme:** Eleven - Quote (William Blake)  
**Genre:** Romance/General  
**Version:** AU-ish  
**Rating:** PG-13 (for the mention of SEX -- oh baby)

_Drink up, baby, look at the stars/ I'll kiss you again between the bars where I'm seeing you/ There with your hands in the air/ Waiting to finally be caught/ Drink up one more time and I'll make you mine/ Keep you apart deep in my heart separate from the rest/ Where I like you the best and keep the things you forgot -_ _"Between The Bars" by Elliot Smith_

**---  
Wedding on the Brain  
---**

The city sky loomed like a jewel in the distance, glittering artificially as a wintry dusk settled in. Streetlights flickered on overhead, and Makoto could see Ami stifling yawns behind her thin fingers. She couldn't help but smile.

"What?" asked Ami, eyes flickering sheepishly over to the brunette.

"Nothing," grinned Makoto. "Has Usagi been over working you?"

Trying not to seem too ungrateful, Ami just shrugged. "Maybe a little," she admitted. "But Minako's been so busy with getting her first record off the ground, and I can't really blame her for that. I just wish one of them had had a better plan, you know? It's a wedding! These things take time to prepare for. There's still the caterer and florist to call, and Minako hasn't even began to plan Usagi's bridal shower..."

"Hey, I told you," began Makoto, slowing the pace of their walk. "I'm pretty sure I can get the restaurant to cater the reception, and Rei-chan will be more than happy to take some time to help with the shower." Makoto chuckled. "Minako always has the best intentions, but you know how she can be."

"It's a wedding!" said Ami. "I thought she'd be different."

"At least we know she'll show up for the party?" joked Makoto.

"With naughty gifts to scandalize the rest of the girls," Ami sighed.

Makoto clasped Ami's glove-clad hand discreetly in her own, and gave it a squeeze. "Are you trying to freak yourself out?" she asked. "Because you're doing a good job. Really, stop worrying about it! Half of the bridal parties we have call up for catering aren't as organized or well prepared as Usagi-chan's already is. Besides, stress cuts in to your sex drive." Makoto wiggled her fingers against Ami's, the brunette's grin stretching from ear to ear. "Remember that one."

"Mako-chan!" puffed Ami, trying to look displeased.

"It's true!" said Makoto.

Ami's eyes went firmly to the gray, twinkling mass that was their apartment building, slowly edging closer as they walked. "All this talk about weddings," she said softly. "And all you can think of is sex. I can't decide if Minako would be proud or ashamed."

"_All this talk of weddings_," repeated Makoto. Her tone was rambling and easy. "What do you want me to do? If I don't think about sex, I'm just going to be thinking about how much I want to marry you, and how unfair it is that I can't."

"What?" Their hands slipped apart as Ami froze, her eyes wide and searching.

Makoto's nervous laughter flew loudly from her mouth, white puffs exploding in the cold air like doves. "That sounded really weird, didn't it?" she sputtered. "I mean, that's not exactly how I meant it. It just didn't come out right. It just sounded different in my head. I didn't really mean to say that! That wasn't very romantic!" Her face had turned a bright cranberry. "It wasn't a proposal or anything."

"Oh," replied Ami. She turned her face away, gesturing to hide another yawn.

"Yet."

"What?"

"Nothing," said Makoto, taking out her keys. They jingled noisily in her hand. "I didn't say anything."


	12. Inside Out

**Theme:** Twelve - Inside Out  
**Genre:** Angst  
**Version:** PGSM/AU-ish  
**Rating:** PG

_I'm a believer/ Nothing could be worse/ All these imaginary friends/ Hiding betrayal/ Driving the nail/ Hoping to find a savior/ No, don't/ Leave me to die here/ Help me survive here/ Alone, don't/ Surrender, surrender - "Evil Angel" by Breaking Benjamin_

**---  
Evil Angel  
---**

"I want you to leave Usagi-chan alone."

Makoto had found her at the drinking fountain, daintily holding her dark hair away from her face. Why evil even needed to bother to rehydrate in a crowded hallway, Makoto didn't know. Maybe she knew Makoto would be looking for her, and had just put herself in a prime location. Ami-chan had always been smart like that. It made Makoto's confidence whither a little.

"I'm not doing anything that Tsukino-san doesn't deserve," replied Ami as she straightened and shouldered her school bag firmly. "Actually, I think I'm being generous."

Makoto glanced around. It was between periods, and most of the kids seemed too preoccupied with chatting with their friends and frantically doing unfinished homework for their next class to pay any attention to the two, outcast girls in front of the water fountain.

"I just want you to know I'm watching you," warned Makoto.

The smile that danced across Ami's face wasn't one Makoto had ever seen before. It was subtle and sinister, like a Cheshire cat. As Ami moved towards her, it took most of Makoto's will power not to back away.

"You're watching me, Kino-san?" asked Ami. "Usagi-chan is lucky to have you as a friend."

Makoto tried to rally her courage. "It's not just for Usagi-chan," she said softly. "It's for the Ami-chan I know is still inside of you. The one we're going to get back."

"How do you even know she's there to save? Oh, Kino-san!" Makoto's name was spoken as a squeal, like she'd just told Ami-chan a great, naughty secret. The smaller girl launched her arms around Makoto's shoulders, pulling her into a friendly hug as she bounced excitedly on the balls of her feet. "Do you really what to know what's inside of me?" breathed Ami, her mouth curled inches from Makoto's ear.

"I know you're still Ami-chan," whispered Makoto. "Deep down, you're still there."

Ami's fingernails dug harshly into the back of Makoto's neck. "You're wrong," she said gleefully. "That girl is gone, and this is me. I'm free now. I'm free to hate, and to reach the potential I would have never been able to achieve under your sniveling princess. I am part of something bigger, better."

"This _isn't_ you," insisted Makoto.

"But it is," whispered Ami. "This is who I have always been, deep inside. And do you know what I'm going to do with my new freedom?" She rested her head on Makoto's shoulder intimately, reminiscent of the Ami-chan that had been rushed to the hospital in Motoki's ridiculous green car. Makoto flinched at the memory. "I'm going to pick your limbs from your body and feed your eyes to the crows we keep in our dark garden," Ami sighed wistfully. "And I'll do it in front of your princess. She will get to watch each and every one of you as you die."

Makoto could barely meet Ami's eyes as she stepped back. They looked too old, too full of hate to belong on Ami-chan's round, innocent face. Rage seemed to drip downward, obscuring the last of what Makoto knew of her friend. Ami sneered.

"Then, maybe," the shell of Ami said. "Then, maybe, she'll understand loneliness the way I do."

She slipped off like a ghost, blending with the groups walking the hallways, but no matter what she did Makoto could still feel her. All the hate and anger that had been carefully built up in that small body could never fully dilute the last of Ami's calm, cool spirit. Makoto let out a breath she hadn't even been aware she'd been holding.

"Oh, Ami-chan," she whispered. "I promise. You're not alone anymore."


	13. Cancelled

**Theme:** Thirteen: Cancelled  
**Genre:** General/Romance/Angst  
**Version:** Animanga/AU  
**Rating:** G

_I cannot pretend that I felt any regret/ Cause each broken heart will eventually mend/ As the blood runs red down the needle and thread/ Someday you will be loved - "Someday You Will Be Loved" by Death Cab for Cutie_

**_---  
_In the Language of Flowers  
---**

"Have I missed much?" Ami asked, puffing slightly as she slid in next to Rei at the pick-up counter.

"No," answered Rei. "Just Usagi ordering enough ice cream to feed a third world country."

Ami smiled, because despite Rei's irritated tone, her face was soft and her arms were full of their friend's orders. Instantly, Ami's eyes scanned for blond hair, and found it fairly fast. Minako and Usagi had taken up the window seats at the booth, and were catapulting straw wrappers at one enough enthusiastically. One ball bounced off brown bangs, and Minako and Usagi instantly stopped, looking sheepish.

Ami frowned. "I thought Makoto had a date tonight," she said, finding a similar frown pulling Rei's face.

"Yeah, well," growled Rei. "He cancelled." She pounded her order tray on the counter. "Hey! How long does it take to make a sundae?" she hollered, leaning over to glare at the employees. They glared back.

"Poor Mako-chan," murmured Ami.

"What'd she expect?" replied Rei. "Men have no remorse. Canceling at the last minute..." She seemed about to start another fuss, but a frazzled looking waiter popped up and slammed the missing ice cream onto her tray without a word. Rei seemed pleased with herself. "I'm getting her another sundae. It's the least we can do, you know?"

"That's a good idea," agreed Ami, tapping her index finger softly against her lips. "Hey, I'll be right back, okay? Will you tell everyone I'm sorry I was late? It'll only take a second."

"Sure," said Rei.

It took a considerable amount of strength to haul all their ice cream to the table, and for a moment Rei was a little surly about the fact she'd let Ami run off. She could have used the extra pair of hands. To top it off, after she was done wheezing and plodding her way back to the booth, no one thanked her for the heroic feat of retrieving their orders. While she couldn't blame Makoto, Rei was more than happy to take some resentment out on Usagi, and did so with a hearty pinch.

"Ow!" shrieked Usagi. "Rei-chan!"

"That's for making me get your giant order!" said Rei. "You better appreciate it."

"I do!" Usagi insisted. "And you got an extra ice cream, anyway. You didn't have to do that!"

"It's for Mako-chan," explained Rei, softly pushing the dessert at the melancholy brunette across from her.

Silence descended over the table as all the girls carefully watched Makoto's green eyes open for a second to take in the melting goop. Her head never left the table.

"Thank you, Rei-chan," sighed Makoto.

"You're welcome," said Rei.

"If she doesn't eat it, can I have it?" whispered Usagi.

Rei gave her another pinch as Minako muffled her laughter with the palm of her hand. Under the table, Usagi kicked her partner in crime vengefully. A tussle might have broken out, but that's when Ami decided to make her re-entrance, dropping her bag at Rei's feet and pulling up a chair from another table.

"Sorry I'm late," she said. "Did Rei-chan tell you?"

"No," replied Usagi, scooping a mouthful of ice cream onto her spoon.

"Oh, well, that's okay," said Ami. "I just wanted to pick up a present for Mako-chan."

The long, hopeful silence returned as Ami's timid fingers left her offering under Makoto's nose. The brunette stirred slightly as one eye opened, and then the other popped awake. Picking herself up from the table, Makoto frantically tried to wipe away what was left of her tears to take in what was in front of her.

"Ami-chan," she breathed. "You didn't have to."

"I wanted to," Ami stuttered, beginning to flush red as Makoto smiled blearily at her.

Careful not to crush the petals and leaves, Makoto lifted the rose off the parlor table. It shone a deep crimson in the artificial lighting, and gave a soft scent. Makoto inhaled happily, enjoying the moment.

"You know, Mako-chan," began Minako sagely. "That's probably more than that stupid boy would have done for you."

"Probably," murmured Makoto. Her fingers danced lightly over the feather soft petals. "Probably."

"I wish someone would buy me roses," Minako sighed dreamily.

"They have to dump you first," said Usagi around a mouthful of ice cream. She choked as Rei elbowed her. "Er, sorry, Mako-chan."

"It's okay," replied Makoto. The smile had yet to leave her face, and reached across the table to squeeze Ami's hand gratefully. "Really, Ami-chan. Thank you. It's so beautiful!"

"It compliments you, then," said Ami shyly, turning her face away from Rei as the miko's eyebrows shot high onto her forehead.

Bumping the table harshly, Minako enveloped Makoto in a bear hug. "Aren't you glad you came with us tonight, instead of moping at home?" she asked, grinning.

"Minako!" gasped Makoto. "Don't crush my rose!"

"Sorry!" As the blond pulled back, Makoto's jacket began to _ring, ring, ring._ Snoopy as ever, Minako made sure to get an eyeful of the name as Makoto pulled her cell phone out of her pocket. "Oh, Mako-chan! Don't answer it!" she blurted, privacy null and void.

"Who is it?" asked Rei suspiciously.

"It's him," answered Makoto. She stared at the face of her phone in disbelief.

"Maybe he's calling to apologize?" suggested Usagi.

"No, Mako-chan," said Minako. "Don't answer it."

"Don't answer it," repeated Rei more aggressively.

Too late. Makoto greeted her ex-date as enthusiastically as she would have anyone else. Rei wiggled irately in her seat, and Makoto had to dodge Minako's sticky hands as the blond tried to wrench the phone from her.

"Stop it!" snapped Makoto, smacking Minako's hands away so she could cover the mouth of her cell. "He's rescheduling our date! I think he's sorry!"

"Who called it!" said Usagi triumphantly.

"Mako-chan, no..." Minako attempted as the brunette got up from the table, chatting merrily to the person who had scorned her a half-hour before. Ami's rose sat forlornly by itself in the middle of the table where it had landed, one of its petals torn. "What's wrong with that girl?" huffed the blond.

Ami picked up the discarded flower, carefully smoothing the ragged edges with her thumb. "She just wants someone to love, Minako-chan," she said. "You can't blame her for that."

"Yes, you can," said Rei. She pressed her lips thin as she watched Makoto from a distance. "Come here, Ami-chan. Sit here." Protesting lightly, Usagi was shoved into the window as Rei tugged Ami beside her, and wrapped a forceful arm around her shoulders. "You never got any ice cream, did you?"

The soft, understanding expression seeping between the hardness of Rei's dark eyes made Ami blink back incriminating tears that suddenly welled to the surface. When Rei handed her a spoon, she took it slowly and placed the rose back on the dirty table top.

"Thank you, Rei-chan," murmured Ami.

"You're welcome," replied Rei softly.

The ice cream went down like rejection: cold and painful.


	14. Red

**Theme:** Fourteen - Red  
**Genre:** Romance/Humor  
**Version:** Animanga/AU  
**Rating:** PG

**---  
A Very Red Oopsie  
---**

For a moment, Makoto firmly thought she was looking at a murder scene. Red and pink goop dripped from the ceiling and walls, oozed down the refrigerator door, and had even gotten as far as the rug by the front door before stopping short. Sitting slumped on the kitchen floor, in the middle of it all, was Ami. She bore a striking resemblance to a red gummy bear, and if Makoto hadn't been so concerned, she might have laughed.

"Ami-chan, what happened?" asked Makoto slowly, taking off her socks so she could wade into the worst of it. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," said Ami. A string of red goo slowly slid off her head and onto the ground.

Makoto flinched, finally taking in the full extent of the damage as she stepped into the kitchen. "What the hell?" she breathed, trying to pick some of the dried splatter off the clock above the oven.

"It's so bad!" was Ami's muffled response.

Carefully, Makoto lowered herself into the mess beside Ami. "Are you crying?" she asked, prying Ami's hand away from her face. The smaller girl sniveled and cast her head down. Big, salty tears plop-plopped onto Makoto's slime covered jeans. "Oh, Ami-chan," cooed Makoto. "It's not that bad! I mean, it's _bad_. We'll probably need to recruit everyone to help us clean it up, but it's not _that_ bad!" Makoto had to choke back a giggle as Ami looked up at her. The only part of her face that wasn't stained red was her large, blue eyes that were filled with defeated tears. "You don't have to cry, silly!" said Makoto. "I'd just kind of like to, you know... hear what happened to my kitchen."

"I don't know," admitted Ami. She cast a look around. "I was following the recipe exactly as it was written and..."

Makoto shifted a little, slipping in the carnage. "What on earth were you trying to make!" she laughed.

"Strawberry cake," sniffed Ami.

"What?" Makoto tried not to seem too taken back. "Ami, are you sure?"

"Well, the cake part came out okay!" growled Ami defensively.

"This is just the icing?"

"I'm not good with the mixer!"

Makoto bit her bottom lip, but it didn't help much in holding back the hysterical laughter that worked its way up from her belly. Wallowing in her own creation, Ami glowered up at her.

"Okay, I'm sorry," giggled Makoto. "Just you look so funny, and you're so pathetically _bad_ in the kitchen. I really have no idea how you did all this. If I didn't want to kill you for ruining my counter tops, it'd be impressive! I mean, this is Usagi worthy."

"Gee, thanks," Ami grumbled.

"Really, I should kill you for ruining my counter tops," said Makoto, suddenly sober.

Ami glared at her. "Go ahead," she replied. "I'm already dying from embarrassment."

"What do you have to be embarrassed about?" grinned Makoto. "You single handedly destroyed my kitchen!" A face full of red goo was Ami's reply. "Okay, Ami-chan, I'm sorry." As Makoto wiped off her face, another red ball hit heavily against the side of her head. "Har har. Okay, it's not funny now, Ami!" Ami paused as Makoto stared her down, glancing slightly to the next glob of goop she'd scraped into her hand. "Don't," Makoto commanded.

_Splat_. Ami watched smugly as Makoto cleared her eyes again. The green in them sparkled fiercely next to the red of the botched icing, and Ami had the sense to slide herself back a little from the brunette.

"Mako-chan..." trailed Ami.

"Oh, it's on now," Makoto growled, lunging.


	15. Found

**Theme:** Fifteen - Found  
**Genre:** General/Romance  
**Version:** AU  
**Rating:** PG

**---  
Brand New Colony  
---**

The first thing Ami expected to see when she opened the bathroom door was not Makoto and Naoki, pressed flat on their stomachs, waiting to ambush.

"Oh!" Ami gasped, immediately tightening her grip on the flimsy, green towel wrapped around her damp body.

On cue, Naoki let out a shriek of terror, and Makoto tried her best to follow his lead. Unfortunately, her cry of anguish ended up sounding more like hysterical laughter.

"Oh no!" giggled Makoto, watching Naoki desperately rip up their futon to have a place to hide. "Naoki! Where's Mama? She's being eaten by the horrible, green, face sucking monster!"

Ami's shock turned into a hearty eye roll as she rumpled her wet hair with a hand towel. "Very funny, Makoto," she ground out.

"Hurry! Hide, before it eats us, too!" gasped Makoto, scampering for the futon. In her enthusiasm, she over shot it and slid right into the nearby wardrobe, where she crumpled into a large mass of limbs and muffled groaning.

Slowly, Naoki's dark head popped out of the blue-green comforter, watching Makoto writhe on the ground in agony. It was now Ami's turn to smile.

"You deserved that," she said as she rummaged through her underwear drawer.

In the background, Makoto moaned pathetically, hands reaching for her partner. "How cruel!" she whimpered. "Ami-chan! Don't let the facemask control you! Come back to us, Mama!"

Ami shutting the bathroom door again was the immediate reply. Panting, Makoto dropped her arms and twisted to look at Naoki. His hair stuck up at strange angles, obscuring his wide, dark eyes. As he crawled from the futon to lean over the fallen Makoto, his pajama pants almost became dislodged. Makoto pulled them up with a firm yank.

"Mama going to tuck me in before you go?" asked Naoki, letting Makoto fuss over him for a moment.

"I don't know," said Makoto soberly. "It depends on if she can be saved from the face eating monster. It doesn't like little boys, you know."

"It doesn't?" Naoki seemed genuinely distressed.

"Nope," answered Makoto.

Suddenly, the bathroom door banged open again, causing both Makoto and Naoki to jump. Out stepped Ami, devoid of any facemask, and carefully inserting diamond earrings to finish off her outfit for the evening. Makoto couldn't help but find her eyes going straight for the ample cleavage Ami's black dress displayed proudly.

"Stop traumatizing our child," said Ami, giving Makoto a hard stare.

"Victory!" cried Makoto. She sat up and grinned, completely ignoring Ami's frustration. "She beat the monster! Mama has been found again!"

It was lucky that Ami had finished clasping her earrings at top speed, because Naoki almost bowled her over in his enthusiasm. Though she didn't have a smile for her partner's teasing, she readily had one for Naoki as she smoothed his wild hair, and cupped his face.

"Can you tuck me in now?" he asked.

Ami laughed, staring into his eager brown eyes. They were what drew her to him the first time she saw him, lying swaddled in the maternity ward, cast from an underage mother and a family who didn't want him. Their shape and the curiosity behind them had reminded her of Makoto, and when she had touched the brown fuzz that smattered his head, he had looked at her: fearless. Every time she looked into those brown eyes, it had made the year and a half without him, wrapped up in legal battles, all the more worth it.

"I have never met a little boy who wanted to go to bed as badly as you do!" smiled Ami.

Naoki seemed guilty suddenly, his hands clasping handfuls of her black hem. "I just want you to read to me," he mumbled.

"Well, I'll be there in a second," said Ami.

"Go on, Squirt," Makoto said, lifting him from Ami and setting him out the bedroom door with a playful swat. "Go get in bed, and we'll be right there." When the door down the hall finally shut with a resounded snap, Makoto wheeled on Ami as the smaller woman took a seat at the vanity. "You know he's just excited for us to leave, because Minako lets him stay up late and watch old western movies, right?" she grinned.

"I know," said Ami, running a brush through her quickly drying hair. "Minako wasn't very good at hiding the tapes the last time she was over. It's all right I suppose, since it's the weekend." Makoto didn't miss the subtle flicker of bedroom eyes Ami shot her way. "It just means he'll sleep longer tomorrow morning."

"No complaints here," said Makoto, catching the hint.

"Good," said Ami as she stood. "Now, get dressed. I'll hold off the story until you get there."

"What? This isn't good enough?" asked Makoto. She tugged on her sweatpants.

"I expect to see a skirt," replied Ami. The doorframe creaked slightly under her weight as she leaned against it, sliding her feet into stilettos.

"I was thinking of wearing trousers," said Makoto, hopeful.

"No, wear a skirt," Ami said. It only took a second for Makoto to swallow her disappointment as Ami's expression quickly turning feral and naughty. "It'll be easier to take off later."

Grinning, Makoto watched Ami glide from the room. "Happy Anniversary, indeed," she said.


End file.
